Summer of 2013 - Entering my 2L Year

I can't believe I am back.  I go to the same school, I live in the same place, I have the same friends, I drive the same car...everything around me has remained the same, but I have managed to transform so much so that I barely recognize the person I was just a year and a half ago.   The best indication?  It is Saturday night, and I am sitting on my bedroom floor in front of a laptop instead of trying to find the next cheap thrill.  Anyone who knew me before law school knew that if there was one person you could count on to be bouncing around at a concert, buzzed in a piano bar, or dancing like the world is going to end in some hazy Arabic club...it was me.  All the time, without fail, whether I wanted to or not, I was addicted to the here and now.  I am happy I lived that life, because I can find a connection with so many people from so many walks of life and I KNOW that everyone can do better.  Even more so, I am happy that I have made the changes to my life that were necessary.  I credit some of that to just getting older and wiser, but I can say without a doubt that law school changed my life.

3 months prior to law school

This post is not actually about that change, it deserves a much deeper reflection to really express it in words; but each time I begin a new entry, I am reminded of the struggles it came to get this far...and damnit, I am proud.

Onto the summer.  As I discussed in a previous post, I secured a paid internship at a criminal defense firm for the first half of summer.  Working there was quite an eye opener.  First, I am still not quite used to the idea that lawyers are people.  Before you enter a profession that has a certain reputation for being difficult or hard to obtain, you generally believe that the people in that profession are some sort of elite squad.  Going into my internship, I was nervous that the people in the office would eat me alive.  I thought they would point out how much I didn't know, give me impossible assignments, and make me feel inferior because I was a novice in their field.  

I was dead wrong.

Working at the legal office, I was greeted with nothing but excitement.  The attorneys and paralegals, while they expected me to work and didn't want to spend time explaining the law (they expected me to research the statutes on my own), were completely open and put time aside to go over each and every assignment I turned in. They gave me access to the high-profile cases they were working on and let me observe how they proceed from start to finish.  I attended client interviews, listened to billing calls, watched voir dire (jury selection process), watched DUI intake videos alongside our clients, wrote briefs that were actually turned in to a judge, observed the entire trail process and joined my attorneys in chambers...so many things I have only seen on television! I knew I would experience them one day, but when the day finally came, I had to make a conscious effort not to smile like the village idiot.

I can't talk much about the cases because of client confidentiality, but one of the most interesting ones I got to work on was the Schermerhorn trial.  A man from Arlington (my home town) was convicted of continuous sexual assault of a child; meaning that at least (2) times, ranging over (30) days, he had sexual contact with a minor under the age of 17.  The guy was in his 50s and the child was only 9 at the age of the first incident.  I struggled a lot with this case; not only because it made me sick to my stomach every time I thought about the emotional trauma this put on everyone involved and, in the case it actually happened, the lasting mental anguish the victim would go through, but rather because I felt like the bad guy.  My firm was representing this man.  I turned this over in my head a few times before I walked into our senior attorney's office and asked him, "How can you sleep?"  After getting over my boldness, he told me,  "The case was not about whether the man was guilty or innocent.  It is a defense attorney's job to ensure that the state meets its burden of proof.  If, as an attorney, I were to go with my gut instinct of guilty or not guilty, then I would be doing my client, the court system, and the Constitution itself an injustice.  If there is a shred of doubt that a man facing life in prison is innocent, then I must turn every stone to uncover the inconsistencies in the case.  If I didn't, and I realized some time down the line that I made a mistake that cost a man his life, THEN I would definitely never sleep peacefully again."  Needless to say, I learned more than how to make a legal file at that firm.

What the senior atty said before he snapped and walked off like a model.

Besides the law firm, I also took (2) summer classes.  Though I am used to being a busy person, I think I bit off more than I could chew with (6) credit hours and a part time work week over the course of 2 months.  I took Oil and Gas and Marital Property.  Oil and Gas is necessary for Texas lawyers because we bathe in oil and use it to grease our steaks, but I walked in with a chip on my shoulder since  I am a hippie when it comes to clean renewable energy.  Nevertheless, the professor was brilliant.  He only teaches in the summer because he is an actual practicing oil and gas attorney for XTO.  He did a wonderful job, and I received a great grade in the course.  Marital property, on the other hand....let's just say I will NEVER deal with (or hopefully participate in) a divorce in Texas!

Well kids...that gets you through the first half of summer.  I can't wait to write the next post about my study abroad in CROATIA! :)

Summer...and Beyond!

Oh blog world, I've definitely been neglecting you this semester!  Law school got real, fast.  I was so swept up in this semester that posting went by the wayside.  There are a few posts that I didn't want to share until after the semester was over - those will be up soon!

Right now, it's 2AM on a Saturday night (Sunday morning?).  I would love to be driving home and passing out fully dressed with some disgusting fast food on my nightstand, but instead, I'm taking a study break!  I have completed (2) finals so far (Contracts and Civil Procedure), and I have one remaining (Property).  It's a take home final, so it can't be that bad, right? :-(  I may seem a little relaxed, but that's mostly because the panic is over.  I was worried about my first two exams (to the point of crying and vomiting), but now the end is on the horizon!

Before updating everyone on what happened over the course of the semester, I wanted to talk (well, maybe brag a little) about how incredible this summer is going to be! I have been planning every minute of it with a huge smile on my face.  Law school has opened so many doors for me.  Last summer, I was just going to parties, working at a hotel, and watching way too much TV.  But this summer...it's going to be unforgettable.

First, the boring part.  I am taking (2) summer courses. One is on campus, and I have to go (2) nights/week.  The course is Oil and Gas, and apparently the professor is some sort of O&G wizard.  As gross as it sounds, I am actually very excited about it! My father worked in the O&G field for several years, and since I live in Texas it will always affect my life in some way.  The other course is Marital Property, and it's online! I didn't know online courses existed in law school, and I can't wait to learn about how to swindle my first husband's money while in my pajamas.  Just kidding...I really just plan on making my own fortune and having a shit load of cats.

While taking courses, I will also be working a paid internship!  Paid internships are a rare treat for first year students.  Most attorneys simply don't feel we know enough about the law to be any sort of asset to their company over the summer.  A few of them offer unpaid internships, but they are also hard to get.  You don't know rejection until you cry over missing an opportunity to work for free.  I applied several places and even went on a few interviews. I wanted to work in the Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office since I plan to work in that field, but it didn't work out.  That was the last of my interviews, and I was pretty upset when I got the rejection letter.  As luck would have it, my personal attorney offered me a job for the summer just a few days later!  I will be working in a criminal defense firm working evidence and cases.  Though the job is exciting in and of itself, I think it's about time I shared how I ended up there...

Warning: I am not asking for lectures or judgments. I made a mistake and I learned a LOT from it - so be nice or else...

Last year in May, I was going out a lot.  Far more than I should have.  I wasn't worried about a thing in my life; I was headed to law school, I had a job that paid for all I needed and more, and tons of friends. I had started hanging out with a promoter (you know, the ones who get free tickets and free drinks everywhere they go as long as they bring some groupies along with them and post it on Facebook), and he invited me to a concert at the House of Blues. I was very busy during the day of the concert, and I forgot to eat.  When I got there, the party commenced, and so did the booze.  I drank too much on an empty stomach, and my friend offered to drive me (in my car) back to his house so that I could sleep it off.  It was the best idea, but he had something else in mind, and I immediately demanded my keys.  I drove all of (5) minutes when I was pulled over for - get this - not having the front license plate on my car.  Obviously, the police could tell I had been drinking and they booked me.  I spent the night in jail (TERRIFYING by the way, especially for someone who has never gotten in trouble in their life), and my friend bailed me out the next morning. 

When I got out, I tried not to panic.  I notified the law school, who lectured me but overall was very nice about it. I also hired an attorney to work my case.  I met with the attorney and went over the details, and we continued communicating throughout the course of litigation.  Around December, as I was applying for winter internships, I got a phone call from a potential employer who was otherwise a sure shot.  She notified me that they could not hire me because when they ran my background check, I had a warrant.  This was as much of a surprise to me as it was to them! The warrant, as it turns out, was for failure to appear.  Lots of times in criminal cases, your legal representative can take care of court dates without you having to appear.  I had one of those cases scheduled, but somehow my attorney overlooked it.  I sent him a frantic email, and he fixed the warrant, so I thought I was in the clear (though I didn't get that particular internship even after I explained the situation!).  Everything was fine, however, about a month later I was looking over my records online, and ANOTHER failure to appear showed up. This time, I emailed my attorney in a less polite manner and asked him what happened.  He assured me that his legal assistant was fired after this mistake and he apologized profusely.  Since it didn't turn into a warrant, I wasn't as upset, and I sent him a cheeky response and said that he owed me an internship for all the trouble. To my surprise, it worked!  After some back and forth, we came to an agreement for the summer and he officially offered me a job.  

What is the lesson here, my little law enthusiasts?  Never doubt yourself, and never be afraid to ask.  My bad judgment call resulted in a wonderful opportunity! And people say that nothing good ever happens when you drink too much...ha!  

On a more serious note, a DWI is a very terrible thing.  It can harm you and those around you, and the legal fees and headache aren't worth it! I voluntarily went to some meetings and talked to some people in the community about being a more responsible drinker, and I abstained from it for a while. If you need a ride, call me, unless you're one of my random readers from Germany...then call a cab.  And don't judge. It could have happened to you!

"oh you'll know when I pull up..."

Now, back to my summer.  Once finals and my internship are over, I am headed to CROATIA!  I am doing a summer abroad trip to study Intellectual Property in the European Union.  As luck would have it, I will be accompanied by several classmates on the trip, so I won't have to hang out with strangers the whole time. Perfect!!

Beautiful pic of Croatia

Details about my program can be found here: http://www.law.msu.edu/croatia/index.html

As soon as my last final in Croatia is complete, I am jumping on a plane and getting back to the states as soon as possible to attend a training session for my new position as a Teacher's Assistant!  I will be in charge of a group of 1Ls (first year law students).  The program meets once a week during the school year and my co-TA and I will give the new students advice on time management, studying, and how to avoid the panic attack that is always looming over law students. I am very excited for the opportunity!

Next year, I am also going to serve as the Vice President of the Student Bar Association at my law school. I won the election (which was a little upsetting since I was running against a good friend) about a month ago.  SBA is the liaison between the students and the administration, and we also put on a lot of awesome socials throughout the year.  

The next year is going to rock.  I can't wait to see what new opportunities and friends await me.  Usually I am a lot more sarcastic, so sorry for those who were looking for some rude comments.  They're coming next time...don't worry.

Cheers!